


The Plumber

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 02:43:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10480353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Adam, dressed in a smart suit, is going to a meeting.  Lucas will be in the background in disguise as a plumber, doing an excellent impression of a scruffy oik.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Froday Fan Fiction Challenge: Rare Pairs Challenge

Lucas North surveyed Adam Carter as Adam came down the stairs.  “Very smart, every inch the successful business man, elegant yet under-stated.”  
  
Adam smoothed down the lapels of his jacket.  “Yes, I think this suits me very well.  Why don’t you give me a twirl too?”  
  
Lucas obligingly turned round.  “And here you see the most up to the minute outfit for …”  
  
“A well dressed plumber.  One pair scruffy jeans, one ragged t-shirt, and a sweatshirt that looks like it will fall to bits next wash.  And I suppose you expect me to give you a lift as well.”  
  
“What’s wrong with my jeans?  Last time I wore them you made some very appreciative noises.”  
  
Adam laughed.  “That’s true.  You’d better not get the Maserati dirty though.”  
  
“I can sit on a towel if you want.”  
  
“I might just insist you do.  Anyway, you certainly look like a plumber.  Let’s just hope you don’t need to do any actual plumbing.”  
  
“I fixed our dripping tap at the weekend.”  
  
“Yes, four hours, several very rude words, and a wet floor later.”  
  
“Hmpf.  Oh ye of little faith.”  
  
Adam dropped Lucas off at the tube station, so Lucas could turn up at the Caldwell Building in his role as plumber come to ostensibly fix a leak in the gents toilets, and in reality set up the listening device for the meeting Adam was attending.  Adam, meanwhile, would be able to park the Maserati in the exclusive underground garage.  
  
Having been directed to the toilets Lucas quickly set up the small electronic box and put his headphones on.  He then started fiddling with one of the basin taps so when someone came in they would assume he was working on it, and anyone seeing the headphones would think he was listening to music on his phone.  
  
All was going well until two of the men from the meeting, whose pictures Lucas recognised from the briefing they’d had on the Grid the previous day, came into the toilets.  
  
One of the men glared at him and said, “Oy, you, out!  You can come back later to finish off.”  
  
Lucas had no wish to leave, for it would not take the men long to spot the box if they were left by themselves.  In desperation he thought back to his weekend plumbing attempts.  Using his wrench he twisted the pipe firmly and water began gushing out.  
  
He swore.  “Bloody hell!  It’s sheared off!”  
  
“For fuck’s sake!  We’d better leave him.”  
  
Lucas set about repairing the damage.  He had managed to stop the worst of the leak by the time the meeting finished.  Adam came to find him, and burst out laughing when he saw the state Lucas was in, before he looked round to make sure no-one else was there.  Lucas glared at Adam.  
  
“I see your plumbing has been as successful as ever,” Adam said.  
  
“I can’t help it.  It was an emergency,” Lucas muttered.  As he spoke he was packing the electronic box back up and hiding it inside his plumber’s bag.  
  
Adam’s phone pinged and he looked at the incoming text.  “Message from Harry: we’re to get back to the Grid as soon as possible.  They’ve had new information come in, which will need urgent action.”  
  
“That’s fine, I’m ready to leave.”  
  
“Good.  I’ll see you back there.  And before you ask I am most certainly not giving you a lift back in the Maserati.”  
  
Lucas pulled a face and shouldered his bag.  “The tube it is then.”  
  
***  
  
By the time Lucas made it to the Grid, his clothes had more or less dried out, although his jeans still had a number of damp patches.  He passed the electronic box over to Malcolm for him to see what else of use he could find from the recording.   
  
Lucas was busy ignoring suggestions he remove his jeans and put them over a radiator to dry when Harry came in.   
  
“There’s no time for frivolities,” Harry snapped.  “And Lucas if you’d wanted to pretend to be an actual plumber you should have contented yourself with sucking your teeth and muttering things about the cost without really causing any damage.”  
  
“I had …” Lucas began, but Harry held up his hand.   
  
“Don’t try to explain.”  
  
Lucas felt Adam’s hand on his back, and a quiet voice in his ear saying, “Good job you weren’t supposed to be an electrician then.”  
  
Harry began the briefing and then moved on to allocating roles.  He turned to Lucas, “You’re staying on the Grid.  You can’t go anywhere looking like that.”  
  
“I disagree,” Adam said.  “I’m going to need someone with me, and there’s no-one I trust more than Lucas.  Whilst I’m going into the office he can keep watch outside.  No-one’s going to look at a scruffy oik lounging outside the nearby McDonald’s.”  
  
“Better still,” Malcolm added, “give him a bucket of water and he can clean the windows and watch what’s happening inside the office as well.  You shouldn’t be there for more than a few minutes.”  
  
Harry looked unimpressed, but Ros said, “Actually, that’s a really good idea.  Jo can drop Lucas off on her way to the railway station.  He should be able to find the necessary equipment in the back of the van.”  
  
***  
  
When Adam entered the office building, Lucas sauntered over and began washing the front window.  He could see Adam talking to someone within the office, and afterwards heading back towards the door.  Then Lucas noticed two large set men approaching the door from outside.  He moved closer, continuing to wash the window, so, as expected, they paid no notice to him.  
  
As Adam exited the building the men made to grab him, but Lucas swung the bucket, and hit one of the men round the head.  The other man collapsed at the same time, so Lucas assumed Adam had hit him.  
  
Not wishing to be involved in any explanations, Lucas and Adam walked briskly away, before turning the corner and making their way to the rendezvous point for Jo to pick them up again.  Jo was already there, so Adam hopped into the front of the van, whilst Lucas climbed into the back.  He hunted around amongst the various items stored there, found a blanket and pulled it around himself.  
  
Adam looked over the back of his seat.  “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yes.  When I swung the bucket I emptied the water down my front.”  
  
Jo laughed.  “Oh dear, twice in one day.  Where’s the bucket?”  
  
“I left it behind.”  
  
“You’d better fill out a chit for it,” Jo replied.  “Harry won’t be happy at the loss of equipment.”  
  
Lucas snorted.  “Harry’s never happy with anything I do.”  
  
“Well, I am,” Adam said.  “And when we get home I’ll run you a nice hot bath and help get you warm.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jo said.  “I don’t need any further details.”  
  
Adam laughed.  “Get us home as quickly as you can and you won’t have to listen to any.”


End file.
